Sport

Plunkett's and Crokes will have to meet again

DUBLIN SFC FINAL: Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh 0-13 Kilmacud Crokes 1-10 - IT'S OFTEN said that in any championship you need to lose…

Fri Oct 24 2008 - 01:00

DUBLIN SFC FINAL:Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh 0-13 Kilmacud Crokes 1-10 - IT'S OFTEN said that in any championship you need to lose a final before you can win one. Not quite sure where that leaves St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh, who last night found themselves in a superb position to win their first Dublin senior football title in their first final appearance, writes Ian O'Riordan

Instead, they found themselves caught up in a hectic, highly exciting finale that saw Kilmacud Crokes battle them until the end and force the replay, which on the night they were no less deserving of. Both sides had their chance to win it at the death and both blew it, not that a draw, of course, was any worse than losing.

So they'll be back in Parnell Park next Monday evening, the Bank Holiday, with a 7.30pm start.

There is no time to lose, as the winners are out the following weekend in the Leinster championship. And, besides, if the replay takes off they way this finished it's definitely worth an encore from both teams.

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Ten minutes into the second half it seemed as if Kilmacud Crokes would indeed inflict Plunkett's with that lesson, that losing a first final was par for the course. Having conceded the only goal of the match, cutely finished by Pat Burke, Plunkett's found themselves three points down, and even with the strong wind in their backs there were signs that Kilmacud were taking over.

Apparently, the word on the streets around Stillorgan was that Kilmacud might just be content with the scalp of reigning county and All-Ireland champions St Vincent's from last Sunday's semi-final replay, but that theory quickly evaporated over the final quarter hour.

Although they gave themselves a 1-7 to 0-7 cushion, Kilmacud were then hit with four unanswered points in succession, which appeared to have laid the foundation for a Plunkett's win.

Alan Brogan started the haul, followed by a gem from Ross McConnell, and when David Sweeney and Bernard Brogan then added two more, the Navan Road club were back in the driving seat.

Truth is they held it more or less until the end. Mark Vaughan, having endured a mixed night with his place-kicking, sent over his fourth free and so the sides were level for the sixth time.

Still, all the momentum was with Plunkett's. He didn't march in the pre-match parade, but Jason Sherlock did start - over the leg injury that cut short his role in the semi-final win over Ballymum Kickhams - and he jumped into life over the closing 10 minutes to help re-establish their advantage.

Paul Brogan, who came on in the second half, was first to put them back in front, and then came Sherlock's kick which was deftly positioned with his right foot.

Two points up with some six minutes left to play, it was suddenly a frenzy of action as both teams attacked and counter-attacked in wonderful succession.

Two scores on 55 minutes brought Kilmacud level again, the first by Mark Davoren, and then a cool, close-range shot from Burke, and with that it was anyone's contest. Plunkett's, however, were left to rue the greater chance of victory as Alan Brogan set up Garreth Smith with only the goalkeeper to beat, and while Smith's shot certainly had the pace, it didn't quite have the accuracy and rebounded off the crossbar.

At the other end, substitute Johnny Magee also had a chance to steal it, but his shot drifted wide. Likewise, a final effort from Sherlock drifted wide at the other end.

By then the draw was inevitable and hardly disappointing either as the talk among all those exiting Parnell Park was that they'd definitely be back for the replay.

Even from the start they had looked fairly impossible to separate, and while Plunkett's held the slight advantage in the first half, Kilmacud were never more than a couple of points behind. They had trouble with the wind and ended up with 12 wides and Vaughan wasn't quite as accurate as last Sunday. Yet, both teams will have come out of this believing they can raise their game again.

ST OLIVER PLUNKETT'S/EOGHAN RUADH:E Somerville; R O'Connor, E Evans, P Curtin; M Brides, T Browne, J Brogan; R McConnell (0-1), D Matthews (0-1); A Darcy (0-1), D Sweeney (0-1), A Brogan (0-2); J Sherlock (0-2), G Smith (0-2, one free), B Brogan (0-2). Subs: S McGuinness for O'Connor (38 mins), P Brogan (0-1) for Darcy (41 mins), N Murphy for Sweeney (56 mins), K McDonnell for J Brogan (60 mins).

KILMACUD CROKES:D Nestor; K Nolan, P Griffin, N McGrath; B McGrath (0-1), C O'Sullivan, A Morrissey; D Magee (0-1, a sideline), P Duggan; R O'Carroll, P Burke (1-1), N Corkery; M Vaughan (0-5, all frees), M Davoren (0-2), B Kavanagh. Subs: L Óg Ó h'Einneachain for Duggan (half-time).

Referee:M Bissett (Whitehall Colmcille).